[Author's Note: While this starts off as being pretty light, it's going to slow burn and increasingly get more explicit as I continue to write chapters for this, hence why it's listed as MA Content despite the beginning because it's going to earn that rating by the time I get there.

As a Disclaimer: Rohan and Josuke are 18 and 22/23 in this - given that Josuke is a Gemini and would be 18 before Summer Vacation in his final year, and I'm a little unclear on Rohan because the only information listed on his official age is his Chinese Zodiac and Birth Year.]


"Yo, Rohan-Sensei, what's up?" Upon the door in front of him being opened, Josuke approached the older one with his signature carefree smile, one arm behind his head as he scratched the back of his head, and the other bent at the elbow with a hand on his hip. "Koichi passed on the message that you were looking to speak to me about something?"

Indeed, for once, Rohan had done such a thing; and after after quietly ushering Josuke to come inside and shutting the door behind them without a single word leaving his lips, he leaned against it and gave the dark-haired young adult a disapproving, harsh scowl.

"You're here because you still owe me, you cheat." Rohan pointed an accusing finger at Josuke, before smirking and giving him a haughty shrug with a 'holier-than-thou' expression on his face. "And today's your lucky day, because I've a deal you cannot refuse. See, as evidenced by how eagerly you were beckoned by my call for you to come here in the first place, I think it'll be a fair offering to start things between us off again on another foot... but only if you do this one thing for me, Higashikata." Rohan crossed his arms, staring down a mildly stunned Josuke, who was now just realizing that he'd just wandered in to one of Rohan's weird schemes that Koichi used to vent about. In fact, now that Josuke thought about it, Koichi did warn him to never go inside with Rohan and to just stay on his porch. With hindsight being 20/20, however, Josuke continued to listen to what Rohan had to say. "See... I've been contacted by a popular shoujo magazine, it's much like shounen jump, but it's geared towards women." He started to explain, his head canting off to the right, getting ready to gauge Josuke's upcoming reaction should he need to defend himself with Heaven's Door. "Right now, the 'boy love' genre is high in demand... and given my repertoire and commitment to my art, they're willing to pay me quite handsomely to write and illustrate this story that's supposed to be their product's magnum opus."

"Ehh, so, like... what's any of this 'magnet octopus' to do with me, huh...?" Josuke's posture immediately stiffened as the the words 'boy love' exited Rohan's lips, desperately trying to mask his internal screaming by playing it off cool, which his physically awkward discomfort was actively ruining for him.

"I will do anything for the sake of research for my work..." Rohan defended his position on his work ethic, putting emphasis on a secondary "ANYTHING.", which was followed by a brief pause. Then, deciding to brace himself for Josuke's possible impending wrath for what he was about to say, his stance changed to that of a defensive posture, pointing his pen at Josuke. "And I've decided, Higashikata, you'll be my study material for this job... in order to inspire myself to give this project my all, essentially, you'll be acting as my boyfriend to fuel my creative fire."

However, Josuke's reaction wasn't quite what Rohan had been expecting, as the fresh-faced, raven-haired young man's cool facade further crumbled in front of him in a series of nervous, raucous guffaws, creating distance between himself and the manga-ka by holding his arms out and backing up a couple of steps.

"Now, hold on! W-wait, isn't there someone else you can ask?! Like Koichi, or, uhm... Oh! How about Hazamada, he's desperately lonely and practically worships you!" Josuke protested, leaving Rohan to sigh wistfully at the mention of Koichi.

"Because as much as I'd like to recruit Koichi for the purpose of this research, I'm not about to be in a constant power struggle with Yukako who would ceaselessly serve to get in my way, and I absolutely refuse Hazamada for the exact reasons you listed! Besides..." He tucked his hand underneath his chin as he slowly eyed the other male up and down, before waving Josuke off with simple "...You'll do."

But as Josuke continued hemming and hawing in between balking, Rohan found Josuke's lack of any concrete answer or emotion other than floundering blind and aimless panic frustrating, until he remembered an aspect of Josuke's personality that may serve him well, and push the situation back in to a beneficial position. After all, given Josuke liked gambling and games of chance, then perhaps upping the ante in his favor would produce some kind of reaction he could work with.

"I see you'll require more convincing than just having your honor restored in my eyes... fine then. How about money?" Rohan smirked, leaning forward off the door whilst rubbing his thumb against his middle and forefinger. "Of course, the offer to try again at a more positive rapport still stands, and as a bonus, you won't even have to worry about being caught at cheating in a game you've rigged in order to skim my bank account; become my research material, and I'll give you a very nice cut of the pay."

"A-are you basically asking me to become your personal escort...?" Josuke sputtered calmly at first with soft laughter, before coldly sucking in his breath and releasing it with a fiery raise in his voice that got louder as it synchronized with the rise in his temper. "Just hire one then, why are you trying to rope me into this, dumbass...!"

But while Josuke's wrath was normally something to be avoided, now that his emotions were no longer without clear direction, Rohan could easily bend things to his will.

"Kishibe Rohan is above hiring an escort for this purpose." The manga-ka stated dully, looking down at his nails and examining them as his words insinuated that he would hire an escort if he felt he it was necessary that he needed to do so, but he deemed it unnecessary for this situation. "Are you not listening to a word I'm saying? I'm offering you a blank slate, I'm offering you money - what more do you want?!"

"Of course I'm listening and I wanna know what the hell are you planning on doing when people are gonna see me all the time with you, acting like who knows what and then they start making some crazy fucking assumptions, you prick!"

"If you're concerned about that, then you should know better by now. I have a cover story for you all figured out already." Rohan spoke with a sly smile, feeling himself corner Josuke right where he wanted him as he began his twisted sales pitch. "Granted, some of it will be the truth... the rest of it will be your cover."

"Th' hell's that mean, huh...?" Unnerved, Josuke's brows twitched in unison with the corners of his mouth and upper lip.

"You'll be spending your vacation working for me as I meet my deadlines. That part's the truth. So, naturally as such, you'll be living here with me. Basically, a bulk of this research will be away from prying eyes... so to anyone who isn't any the wiser to this deal of using you as my source material would see you as my gofer and secretary for the summer as I focus on my work; after all, a summer job to a well established professional will look good on... well, whatever you decide to do, given it's your last year of High School." Rohan sold his plan to dig in to Josuke's psyche, and as he saw the other young adult's expression soften with confusion a little, he knew that he didn't have much further to go.

Because where just a moment ago Josuke was considering where and how hard he was going to punch Rohan first, now all Josuke could think about was that he wouldn't have to get a summer job, or feel pressured on all sides in to spending his final summer vacation figuring out what to do with his life. And secretarial work for such a large and well-respected name would look really good on anything he put it on.

However, this was exactly what Rohan was waiting for from him, and stepping away from the door, he put his hand on the doorknob and confidently stated.

"I can read your face better than Heaven's Door can read you, Josuke. Starting tonight, you're my boyfriend for the summer... got it?" He opened the door for Josuke, but when he didn't immediately leave, Rohan scowled at him, storming over behind him and began to forcefully usher him outside while chiding him for being frozen like a deer in the headlights.. "What are you doing? Stop standing there and staring at me like a dead fish! Go home, grab your everyday personal belongings you can't live without for a month, and bring them here at once!"

The door slamming shut behind him, Josuke groaned out as he facepalmed, then slowly slid his hand down his face - He really should have paid more attention and listened to Koichi, refusing to go any further than that front porch.

"Great, just... great." Josuke sighed out brashly, kicking a rock down the path after descending the steps to leave. "Ugh, this is real fuckin' heavy, god damn it..."